Pages

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Lentejas (Lentil Stew)

I grew up eating one kind of bean stew or other.Which is why, no matter what cuisine, a
hearty bean stew, preferably generously ladled over a heap of steaming rice, is
one of my ultimate comforts.A bowl of
this can set my world right, cure all ills, and stave off any feelings of
melancholy or disappointment.

When we were younger, my mother would make for us either
fabada, a Spanish bean stew made with white beans, lentejas, the same but with
lentils, or monggo guisado, a Filipino bean stew of mung beans.We loved all of it.My brother and I could wipe a bowl of monggo
clean and still be fighting over the last bite.I have very fond memories of heating a (big) bowl of leftover beans and rice,
slathering this with olive oil and vinegar, and hunkering down for a good
afternoon’s worth of reading…book in one hand, spoon in the other.

My husband finds it slightly insane how, when we have
beans, I can have the leftovers for every meal until they are gone.Yes, that’s every meal.In fact -- and if you have delicate
sensibilities you should turn away now -- I feel that fabada is at its best right before it
starts to turn…that peak of ripeness when all the flavors seem to be sharper
than ever.It’s a delicate balance and
not for everyone -- I do not recommend it for any but the strongest (and
bravest) of constitutions.

Frankly, it’s a miracle (touch wood) that I haven’t succumbed
to some bean-related ailment.

Obsession aside, beans are low in fat, high in fiber, and
a good source of protein.They are also,
supposedly, rich in anti-oxidants.And
if that weren’t enough reason to have them in your life, they also make a pretty thrifty meal.

Lentejas (Lentil Stew)

Olive oil

300 grams lentils

2 onions, 1 peeled and left whole, 1 chopped

1 head plus 4 cloves garlic, the head peeled of outer
layer of skin only and left whole, the 4 cloves peeled and finely chopped

250 grams Spanish chorizo (I use chorizo de Pamplona, a
pack of four)

300 grams whole bacon slab

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 teaspoons Pimenton de la Vera (Spanish smoked
paprika)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

freshly cracked black pepper

salt, to taste

optional: 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

- Place the lentils, carrot (if using), whole onion,
whole head of garlic, chorizos, bacon slab, bay leaf, and a good cracking of black pepper in a
pot.Pour in enough water to cover by
about 1 – 1.5 inches.Bring to a boil
and then reduce to a simmer.Simmer for
about 30-45 minutes or until lentils and carrots are soft.The meats should be cooked through at this
point as well.

- Remove the bacon slab and the chorizo from the pot and cut
both into chunks or slices, as thin or as hefty as you want them (I like to
keep them hefty).

- Heat another pot over medium high heat.When the pot is hot add a couple of generous
slugs of olive oil.Then add the chopped
onions and garlic.Let this sauté until
the onions are soft and translucent.Add
the bacon slab, chorizo, Pimenton, and oregano and sauté further until the oil
is tinted orange.Start adding the
lentils and their liquid into the pot, stirring as you do so.Make sure to add the whole garlic and onion
as well. Transfer all the
lentils and carrots over to the new pot but you may not use all the liquid.Keep an eye on the consistency – add more liquid
if you like it thinner, and less if you want it thicker.Just keep in mind that this will thicken as
it rests.Cook, stirring, for about 10
minutes.

- Taste and adjust seasoning.Depending on the bacon you use this may be
salty enough.If not them just add some
salt. You can also add more Pimenton, oregano,
or pepper at this point if you feel it lacks.Cook for a few minutes more, to let the flavors really meld together.

This is my basic recipe for lentejas, and by basic I mean
that it is very open to interpretation (as most bean stews are) and is very
easy to throw together.Just cook
everything in one pot, and then sauté afterwards.This is very similar to the procedure I use to make munggo.I never used to include carrots in
my lentejas before (which is why I’ve marked it as optional here) but that has
changed since I’ve had a toddler on board.Now when I see a chance to add some vegetables to a dish I take it.The whole onion and garlic become soft and
sweet in the cooking and I like to smash this into my rice.I still eat this with olive oil and vinegar,
just like my mom taught me, but I imagine this would also be good with some
garlicky Greek yogurt.

By the looks of it, little C is starting to love this as
much as I do, if empty lunch boxes are any indication.I can’t help feeling a warm glow of maternal
continuity as I feed her something that was so much a part of my own
childhood.And to this day, even if I
make this on my own, I still look forward to having my mom’s.Nothing can quite capture the degree of
satisfaction hers brings me.I hope
little C will feel the same.

I am going to try making this! I live in Madrid and I've seen packs and packs of Lentils in the grocery but not knowing what to do with them, I've never bought one! (Instead, I go to the Asian store a metro plus a bus away to buy me some monggos haha!). But thank you for your post, I'm going to make me some lentejas for my weekend meal :-) Gracias!